Chapter 46 #2
Jacinda and I have texted back and forth a few times since the night of the museum gala I went to with Fallon. Apparently, Marshall keeps asking her out. She keeps telling him no, but he hasn’t given up.
Jacinda crosses her legs as she sits, looking as glamorous and stunning as always. Today, she has her hair loose and curled so it falls in ringlets down her back. She’s wearing a sweater in deep blue to go with the black yoga pants that she’s sporting.
“Sounds like he’s still trying to wear you down.”
She shrugs. “Maybe. Maria keeps trying to get back with him, and I am so done with that girl’s drama. Oh! I have some good news to share!” she sings, giving me a devilish expression.
“What?”
“Maria has been expelled from school. Like gone, baby, gone. She won’t be allowed to graduate.”
“How?”
I know I’m stuck on monosyllabic questions, but seriously, how?
Jacinda starts cackling like a hyena until she’s breathless. “Seems like my little white lie I told her about Samantha videoing everything was actually true. Go figure!” She slaps her leg a few times in hilarity.
I did say that karma would come back to bite her and all her nastiness. I’m glad some form of justice has been served for the things Maria did.
“But enough about that evil biddy. How is the baby?” Jacinda asks.
“Doctors say everything is fine. Just your normal run-of-the-mill pregnancy fainting spell.”
She nods and bites her lower lip. “Good. I was worried when Marshall told me what Austin told him.”
Blowing out a breath, I rearrange the pillows behind me. “Not my finest moment.”
This odd, new friendship that Jacinda and I are creating still weirds me out a little. She has played the role of my greatest nemesis since the third grade when she and Samantha were mean to Ryder. Funny how me being pregnant was the commonality that brought us together.
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I know Jayson and Fallon will be back soon.” She hands me a paper bag. I didn’t even see her carrying it. “Just some stuff to keep from getting too bored.”
Opening the paper bag, I pull out three paperback books. All of them are romances.
Pointing to the first one she says, “That one is my favorite. Reverse harem. Kind of reminds me of you and your guys.”
I burst out laughing when she shows me the cover. It has four really bulky, beefed up, bare-chested military men surrounding a woman in a slinky red dress.
“Yeah, I don’t think so. Well, maybe this guy resembles Jayson.” I touch a finger to the third man with muscles and brown hair.
“The other two are a wolf shifter-rejected mate and a rom com.”
I give Jacinda an honest smile. “Thank you. This was really nice of you.”
She shrugs again. “No problem.” Getting up from the stool, she pauses at the side of my bed and tentatively reaches over the railing to touch my hand. “I’m really glad you and the baby are alright.”
“Hey, Jacinda,” I call to her as she opens the door to leave. “Want to hang out next weekend?”
Her eyes widen with a flicker of shock before a gradual grin graces her red glossy lips. “I’d really like that,” she replies. She gives me a wave as she walks out just as my phone starts playing a melody alerting me of an incoming video call.
“Hey you,” I say as Ryder’s handsome face appears on the screen. He and I have been videoing a few times a week, and on other nights, I’ll join him online to play video games
“Hey back.”
The guys let him know about what happened today, so I was expecting this call.
He looks tired and his hair has been falling out.
He started wearing a CU beanie a couple days ago to cover his head.
The doctors are optimistic that they will be able to do the bone marrow transplant in a couple of weeks.
“Look what I got,” I tell him, showing him the reverse harem Jacinda gave me. He makes a gagging sound.
“Tell Hailey to broaden her horizons.”
I prop the phone up on the side table next to me. “Jacinda gave them to me. She just left.”
“Should it freak me out that Marshall visited me and Jacinda visited you?”
“Honestly? I think they are both trying. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
His happy expression falters. I’m about to backtrack when Jayson and Fallon return and save me from an awkward moment.
“Look who’s joined the party,” I tell them, gesturing to the phone.
“S’up, Ry,” Fallon greets him, lowering the rail of my hospital bed and reclining on his side next to me. He bends his arm at the elbow and props his chin in his upturned palm
Jayson hands me a plastic spoon and a dessert cup filled with raspberry sorbet. “Hey, man!” he says, situating himself on the other side of me so that Ryder can now see all three of us.
I think I drool a little when the tart, fruity smell of raspberry hits me. This is my favorite cold dessert since I can’t have regular ice cream because of my dairy allergy
“The things Liz does to get attention,” Jayson playfully touts, giving me a side grin. I stick my tongue out at him and then shove a huge spoonful of sorbet in my mouth.
“I’m glad you guys are with her.” Ryder eases back in his hospital bed, his eyes starting to droop a little with fatigue.
“She couldn’t get rid of us if she tried,” Jayson jokes and I roll my eyes.
I try to pay attention to the conversation as the guys start talking about cars and Fortnite, but Fallon’s gentle stroking of my hair has me almost comatose. Someone takes the empty sorbet cup from my hands as a huge yawn escapes me.
Fallon shifts me so that we’re spooning, the warmth of him on my back the final push that sends me into dreamland
“Sweet dreams,” he murmurs near my ear.
Comforted by his words, I fall asleep with one last, lingering, sad thought hanging in the back of my mind. Ryder, once again, never asked about the baby.